Doors and Safety for Commercial Businesses

Doors being one of the most important features in the construction of commercial properties provide safety and security of the premises. Everyone is aware of the fact that doors are one of the most important aspects in the construction of commercial properties as they assure the safety and security of the premises. Today there are thousands of doors to choose from, each with their own special utility, appearance, and quality rating, each made with a variety of materials. Hollow metal industrial doors, roll up doors, and impact doors are often used at the chief entry points at for many commercial and industrial sites with safety is a primary concern. Commercial doors are created to match the requirements specific to the type of business. The Door companies manufacture these doors specifically for security, safety, aesthetic appearance, and ease of operation while providing and easy installation and quality materials to keep maintenance cost to a minimum.

There are many different types of doors available to choose from, here are a few of the most common doors used in commercial buildings:

Sectional Doors:

Sectional doors are commonly used for loading docks and vehicle entry/exits in commercial building applications. Depending on the customer’s preference there are a wide variety of options to choose from.  These include windows, insulation, track quality and motor operation method. Sectional doors are common for commercial applications, but can obstruct overhead lighting when rolled up. When that’s a concern the “Roll-up” style door is an option.

Roll up Doors:

Roll up doors are most often used on industrial premises for loading docks or vehicle entry areas. As the name suggests, the doors are rolled up into a cylindrical canister that mounts above the door opening. These space saving doors can be manually operated or motorized, depending on customer preference at installation.  Window slots can also be included for easy visibility to the outside, often needed to see who’s knocking.

Personnel Doors:

These doors are used by employees or visitors to access different areas of a building, basically controlling the passage of people. These Personnel doors can be made in many sizes and shapes out of a wide range of materials. It is highly recommended that company owners carefully review their door access requirements before choosing the doors to be installed. Consulting with a door installation company is highly recommended to understand the door options, materials and functional capabilities of each brand and style.

Roof Hatches

Roof hatches are high security personnel doors typically used for access to commercial building roof areas. These specialized doors are often installed and seldom used. That’s why it’s important to use a quality door that will open in case of emergency, or when roof maintenance is needed.  Proper locking mechanisms are important for roof hatches to prevent break-in as well as easy exit in emergency for code compliance in commercial buildings.

Dock Levellers

Most commercial buildings have loading docks for shipping and receiving of goods.  With big equipment, pallets of goods and a noisy environment, this is a breeding ground for accidents to happen.  Dock levellers are often the focus to minimize injury, making sure the dock leveller works reliability while providing an even a gradual bridge from the dock to truck trailers for loading and unloading.  Difficulties with a dock leveller often lead to injury, so reliability and ease of use is paramount to the safety of workers. Dock seals are also important for safety, keeping wind and rain seal away from the indoor dock loading environment, preventing wet slippery surfaces or debris blowing in during dock loading operations.

Impact Doors

These doors are used in high traffic areas, generally used in restaurants to obstruct view from the kitchen. These are also found in high traffic temperature controlled applications. As the name implies these doors open when you impact them with a cart or your hand.  These are very durable doors that swing both ways and automatically return to the closed position when not held. These doors can have a high risk of injury if not operated correctly by employees. These doors generally have a window to see who’s on the other side, preventing collision or impact with another person or object.  It’s important to train all employees on impact doors to look through the window before you go through the door. This common sense approach can seem obvious but often gets overlooked, or “under-looked”, causing serious injury when things get in a hurry or people aren’t paying attention.

IMPACT WINDOWS AND DOORS

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